Method of forming tunnel walls and unit for use therein



y 1932- A. w. WARNER ET AL 1,366,242

METHOD OF FORMING TUNNEL WALLS AND UNIT FOR USE THEREIN Filed May 8, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 flgi Q? U M21291 03006 FBwrJ y/ a fil 7 July 5, 1932. w WARNER AL 1,866,242

METHOD OF FORMING TUNNEL WALLS AND UNIT FOR USE THEREIN Filed May 8, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 .Zizvezrfizasvvr Mix/ arner fiacoe FBaZQrJ Patented July 5, 1932 UNITED stares PATENT QFFICE ARTHUR W. WARNER, 0F MEDIA, AND ROSCOE F. BALIIARD, OE CHESTER, PENNSYL- VANIA, ASSIGNORS TO TUNNEL AND MINE MACHINERY COMPANY, OF PHILA- DELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, A COREORATION OF NEW JERSEY METHOD OF FORMING TUNNEL WALLS AND UNIT FOR USE THEREIN Application filed May 8, 1931. Serial No. 536,060.

mitting the use of blocks of concrete or other material not requiring bolting or other holding means than the jacks employed in advancing the ordinary tunneling machine and will, at the same time, permit a construction such that a complete overlapping ring of tongue and groove joints is provided between adjacent courses thereby avoiding the wide joint openings ordinarily resulting from the use of hexagonal blocks laid up by pressure exerted through the jacks of the tunneling machine as has been heretofore proposed.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a block construction for use in tunnels which lends itself readily to the application of pitch to the jointed surfaces thereof without smearing the remainder of the block, thus permitting an entire wall to be laid up.

These and construction shown in the accompanying drawings wherein. for the purpose of illustration, we have shown a preferred embodiment of our invention and wherein:

Fig. 1 is an end elevation of a fragment of a tunnel wall constructed in accordance with my invention; s

Fig. 2 is a face view of a fragment of the tunnel Wall;

Fig. 8 is a view similar to that of Fig. 2

illustrating the use of a slightly modified unit construction, a. portion of the wall being broken away to illustrate the use of an anchoring means with the unit; 7

Fig. 4 is a perspective of the positioning block of the wall unit;

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the complementary block of the wall unit; and

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary elevation of the 7 larger end ofthe positioning block.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, the tunnel wall constructed in accordance with our invention is composed of units, each including a positioning block 10 other objects we attain by the suming that v of the positioning block is first applied to the previously laid course and after all of the positioning blocks are in position against the previously laid course the complementary blocks 11 are placed therebetween, the minor face '13 of the complementary block being disposed in advance and coming to rest against the previously laid course. Upon its major face the positioning block 10 has a means 13a for insuring it against circumferential displacement with relation to the previously laid course, this means being at present shown as a rib 14 extending transversely of this major face. One of the minor faces of block 10 has a complementary positioning means at present shown as a transversely-extending groove 15 to receive the rib l4.

The blocks 10and 11 comprising the unit are so formed that they provide upon two adjacent faces of the completed rhomboidal unit a longitudinally-extending medial rib and upon the two remaining faces of the completed unit a longitudinally-extending medial groove. In the present instance the block 10 is shown as having upon its side faces 16 and major face 12 a projecting rib 17 and in its minor face 18 a longitudinally-extending medial groove 19 of which the transverselyextending groove 15 forms a branch while the complementary block 11 has in its side faces 20 and major face 21 a longitudinallyextending medial groove 22 and upon its minor face a longitudinally-extending medial rib 23. It will, of course, be obvious that the groove of one of the side faces 20 of the complementary block receives the rib 17 of one of the side faces of the positioning block thus forming the completed unit as above described.

In constructing a tunnel wall while employing blocks of this construction and as- I a course is being laid against a previously laid course C, the positioning blocks 10 are first placed in position against the course C with their major faces in advance and through interengagement of the positioning means 13a, 14 of the blocks of the course being laid and the blocks 10 of the previously laid course, these blocks will have a predetermined spacing about the annular wall which is being formed. During this interval the previously laid course will be held in position by the pressure of jacks J of tunneling mechanism, for example, such tunneling mechanism as shown in our previously filed application, Ser. No. 4:68,- 338, filed July 16, 1930 for method of and apparatus for forming tunnels, to prevent loosening of the blocks of the course C.

When the blocks 10 are in position and the jacks positioned thereagainst to apply pressure thereto, the jacks engaging the blocks 11 of the course C may be withdrawn for, as will be noted from an inspection of Figs. 2 and 3, the blocks 10 apply pressure not only to the blocks 10 of the previous course with which they are aligned, but likewise against the blocks 11 of the previous course upon which they overlap at their side edges due to the fact that the major faces of the blocks 10 are imposed against the minor faces .of the blocks 10 of previously laid courses and, therefore, extend therebeyond. lVith the blocks 10 of the course being laid in position the blocks 11 of this course are positioned therebetween and subjected to the action of the jacks as suggested in Fig. 2, in which a portion of the blocks 11 of the final course are shown in position between the blocks 10. The jacks engaging the blocks 10 may then be withdrawn to permit insertion of further blocks 10 in the construction of a new course.

In some instances, and particularly where the tunnel wall is of considerable diameter and the over-cut made in boring the tunnel is, therefore, larger, it is desirable that the blocks be tied together circumferentially. This may readily be accomplished by embedding in the block 11 a metallic strip 24 affording a projecting flange 25 extending into the groove 22 of the block 11 at one or the other of those portions of the block which are overlapped by the blocks 10 of the succeeding course and then forming in the ribs of the blocks 10 at the major faces thereof notches 26 for the reception of these flanges. With an arrangement of this character the blocks are tied together in a unitary structure and there is little tendency to deformation of the tunnel wall when finally disposed in the tunnel bore.

Due to the construction of the individual blocks, it is possible to very readily coat the several tongues with heavy pitch without smearing the faces of the block while the grooves of the block can be painted with a pitch emulsion after they have been inspected and just before they are sent into the tunnel for use. Since there is, when using a block of this character, relatively little movement between adjacent blocks as a result of the application of pressure the coatings just described suffice to provide sufficient fluid to insure against leaky joints between the blocks and against lost motion between the same.

Since the construction employed is capable of a certain range of change and'modification without in any manner departing from the spirit of our invention, we do not wish to be understood as limiting ourselves thereto except as hereinafter claimed.

We claim:

1. The method of forming tunnel walls consisting in laying up the wall in annular courses of trapezoidal blocks in which courses the adjacent blocks are reversely positioned with relation to one another, one having its major and the other its minor face in contact with the previously laid course while aligning each block, in a direction longitudinal to the tunnel, with similarly placed blocks of previously laid courses, and in laying each course initially placing those blocks whose major faces contact the previously laid course, and employing pressure applied to the previously laid course through said blocks to maintain such previously laid course and such blocks in position while positioning the remaining blocks of the course.

2. A tunnel wall comprising annular courses of trapezoidal blocks, alternate blocks of each course being reversed with relation to one another, similarly placed blocks of adjacent courses being aligned with one another to form rows extending longitudinally of the tunnel.

3. A tunnelwallcomprising annular courses of trapezoidal blocks, alternate blocks of each course'being reversed with relation to one another, similarly placed blocks of adjacent courses being aligned with one another to form rows extending longitudinally of the tunnel, the blocks of each course which have their major faces disposed against the preceding course having interlocking engagement with the blocks of the preceding course preventing their displacement in a direction longitudinal to the course.

A. A tunnel wall comprising annular courses of trapezoidal blocks, alternate blocks of each course being reversed with relation to one another, similarly placed blocks of adjacent courses being aligned with one another to form rows extending longitudinally of the tunnel, the blocksof each course which have their major faces disposed against the preceding course having upon their major and minor faces complementary elements of a transversely-extending tongue and groove joint.

5. A rhomboidal wall unit comprising two trapezoidal blocks having non-parallel faces in engagement with one another and the major faces reversely disposed, said unit having a medial longitudinal rib on two adjacent faces and a medial longitudinal groove on its remaining faces.

6. A rhomboidal wall unit comprising two trapezoidal blocks having non-parallel faces in engagement with one another and the major faces reversely disposed, said unit having a medial longitudinal rib on two adjacent faces and a medial longitudinal groove on its remaining faces, engaging faces of the blocks having tongue and groove en agement with one another.

7. A rhomboidal wall unit comprising two trapezoidal blocks having non-parallel faces in engagement with one another and the major faces reversely disposed, said unit having a medial longitudinal rib on two adjacent faces and a medial longitudinal groove on its remaining faces, one of said blocks having upon its major and minor faces complementary elements of a transversely-extending tongue and groove joint.

8. A. rhomboidal wall unit comprising two trapezoidal blocks having non-parallel faces in engagement with one another and the major faces reversely disposed, said unit having a medial longitudinal rib on two adjacent faces and a medial longitudinal groove on its remaining faces, one of said blocks having means to co-act with a block of preceding and succeeding units preventing its displacement in a direction longitudinal to such preceding or succeeding unit.

9. A rhomboidal wall unit comprising two trapezoidal blocks having non-parallel faces in engagement with one another and the major faces reversely disposed, said unit having a medial longitudinal rib on two adjacent faces and a medial longitudinal groove on its remaining faces, one block of each unit having means to engage the other block of a preceding or succeeding unit to prevent transverse displacement thereof.

10. A rhomboidal wall unit comprising two trapezoidal blocks having non-parallel faces in engagement with one another and the major faces reversely disposed, said unit having a medial longitudinal rib on two adjacent faces and a medial longitudinal groove on its remaining faces, one block of each unit having means to engage the other blocks of two preceding or succeeding units to prevent transverse displacement thereof.

ARTHUR W. 'WARNER. ROSCOE F. BALLAR-D. 

